Second in Command
by Kaydon
Summary: Major Lorne learns the hard way. Sheppard doesn't leave people behind.


Second in Command

By: Kaydon

Summary: Major Lorne learns the hard way: Sheppard doesn't leave anyone behind.

* * *

Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard was ticked.

Two days later, there was still no word. What was supposed to have been a simple retrieval mission for a lost laptop had turned into a fiasco that sent two of Atlantis's best to the MIA list. Abruptly he threw his water bottle to the ground as hard as he could and stood to continue his pointless pacing. Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Weir exchanged worried glances. From his seated position on the gate room stairs, Captain Adam Kendry looked up at his CO helplessly. Sheppard seemed to come to a decision. "Zelenka, dial Ear-"

Suddenly there were alarms blaring and there was a flurry of activity as several things happened at once. "Unscheduled off-world gate activation!" Radek Zelenka's unmistakable Czech accent rang out. Kendry was up in a minute with his P-90 pointed steadily at the gate; a couple marines pushed Weir and Beckett into the side corridor and stood guard over them. "Who is it?" Sheppard demanded, taking up position next to Kendry before Zelenka had even finished announcing the activation.

A long pause, that seemed to stretch an eternity in the tense silence, and finally, "Reading Dr. McKay's IDC!"

"Let them in!" Sheppard dropped his gun and took several steps forward and caught Rodney McKay as he came flying through the gate. "Rodney, you okay?"

"Shut it down, they're right behind me!" The physicist was pale and sweaty, and was quickly turning into a dead weight in his arms.

The wormhole disengaged, and the only sound in the room was Rodney's labored breathing. Finally, Sheppard voiced the question on everyone's mind. "Major Lorne?"

Rodney's voice shook. "They got him. You've got to get him out of there."

"Who? McKay, come on, who's got him?" Rodney didn't answer. Instead, he fell over suddenly. Sheppard eased him to the floor. "Doc, I could use some help!"

"Right here lad. Damn! I need a gurney!" A moment later several nurses came running up with one. "Alright, let's get him to the infirmary." Turning to Sheppard he smiled. "Don't worry; he'll likely be just fine as soon as we get his blood sugar back up." Sheppard nodded, unconvinced.

* * *

Major Evan Lorne was half suspended in the air by the chains on his wrists, half sprawled out on the cold stone ground, and half in a fairly normal sitting position. "You been here long?" The voice startled him out of his morbid thoughts.

He looked around to discover he had two cell mates. The one who had spoken has a grizzly looking old man; the other was a boy who looked like he was only fourteen. "No, you?"

The man paused before answering. "You will be. I've been here for years."

Lorne began trying to push himself up onto his knees in an attempt to alleviate the pressure on his wrists. "I won't be here long."

"Yes you will. Death is the only escape. I've seen thirty cell mates come and go, and the only way anyone ever gets out is death. They won't kill you."

Lorne raised an eyebrow. He was now up on one knee and struggling to bring his left into cooperation. "Well thank you Mr. Killjoy. I guess I'm going to get to be the first to go. My people will come." He finally brought his left knee up. But he result was not what he expected. A loud scream echoed around the cell and up the halls. Lorne was no longer only half hanging. Without the chains, he would be a sack of potatoes on the cell floor.

The older man didn't bat an eye as the loud pounding of the guards feet stopped, and the door to their cell opened. The older guard gave a command in a language Lorne didn't understand. One of the younger guards unhooked the chains from his wrists and pulled him to his feet. His world exploded in pain and next thing he knew he was thrown onto the ground, with the interrogator standing over the boy from his cell.

* * *

Hours later, Lorne woke up, chained to the wall. He did a quick scan of the room 'Damn.' The boy was gone, most likely dead. Lorne swallowed back his nausea at the thought of what had happened to the young kid. The man was still there. "Kid?" Lorne managed to grasp out pathetically.

"Dead." The man said, without any emotion. Lorne closed his eyes and leaned his head back. "It's your fault." Lorne snapped his eyes open and nearly gave himself whiplash turning to look at him. "You're military. They'll kill and kill in front of you until you talk. Then they kill you. If you didn't talk, his death was your fault." The man laughed crazily. "They'll kill whoever tries to rescue you in front of your eyes."

"No." Lorne wanted a hug. He wanted to safe and sound in his mothers lap, on the big rocking chair in the hallway. He wanted to be a little kid, to wrap his arms around a big teddy bear while his daddy pulled the covers up to his chin. But more than anything, he wanted to see his CO's face on the other side of his prison bars. To go home. How many times had they gone into an enemy base of operations to rescue recon teams. But he was just one man. _We don't leave people behind. _Lorne could almost hear Sheppard's voice.

But he was only one man. Not a whole team. He wasn't people. He was only one person. McKay had escaped. If he hadn't, the entirety of Atlantis would be knocking down the doors trying to get the CSO back. 'It doesn't matter.' _We don't leave people behind. _McKay. Sheppard entrusted McKay to him. Carson had once laughingly told him that being assigned to watch "His geek" was the greatest sign of trust from his CO. And Lorne had screwed up. He wasn't watching their backs, and now he was here, and McKay was just gone. He had to hope that McKay had made it back to Atlantis.

_If you didn't talk, his death was your fault._ No. That isn't true. Stop. _They'll kill whoever tries to rescue you in front of your eyes. _No! _We don't leave people behind. _Sheppard! Lorne was shaking. _His death was your fault. _ _We don't leave people behind. They'll kill whoever tries to rescue you in front of your eyes. His death was your fault._ He couldn't keep the voices out of his head. So he threw his knee into floor, bashing it again and again until the pain took him in oblivion.

* * *

"What do you mean no?" Sheppard yelled.

Elizabeth sighed. "John, no. I'm not risking anymore men. We sent the MALP to the coordinates Rodney gave us, and they shot out the camera within seconds, John. We can't just take all our men and break him out."

Sheppard slammed the folder into the desk. "I'm not asking for much, Elizabeth! I just want a jumper and a team of Marines. You don't take your whole army on a stealth mission. It only takes four or five guys to break one soldier out of a prison camp."

"No."

"Damn you Elizabeth! I don't leave my men behind." He sank into the chair with his head in his hands. This was his second 2IC that he'd lost in as many months.

Elizabeth sighed. "I know how you feel John. I really do. We'll send another MALP later, but until one gets through clear, I can't authorize this. Go see Rodney, and then go get some sleep."

Sheppard didn't dignify her by looking her in the eyes. "You have no idea what it's like until you fight side by side with someone and leave them behind." His voice was quiet but held venom suggesting he would never forgive her, and he walked out the door, ignoring her pleads to listen.

* * *

Night fell quickly on Atlantis. The call for the night guard had long since echoed through the now-empty corridors. Sheppard rose from his bed and exited his quarters, leaving a piece of paper on his bed. He snuck quietly toward the jumper bay, armed to the teeth. His current weapon of choice was an ancient stun gun, which he used to take out the three guards and the engineer in the gateroom. They fell to the ground quickly, and more importantly, silently.

Sheppard stepped carefully over his men and made his way to Dr. Watson's computer. A few seconds later, the radio jammer he set down was broadcasting on a frequency that would jam any radio activity within several hundred feet. He expertly made his way to the jumper bay, switching the stun gun for a normal tranquilizer as he went. There really wasn't any point in wasting the stunner's charge, after all. He fired accurate shots at both bay guards, who tried to call for help before they both slid to the ground.

Sheppard sat in the pilot seat of Jumper1 and lowered the jumper into the gateroom. He dialed the planet and went through. He cloaked the jumper instantly upon rematerializing. The gate shut down, and the ground guards hadn't seen him. He pulled up the HUD and changed his course toward the highest concentration of life signs. The one he was watching suddenly flickered out, and he knew that was the camp. He landed the jumper in stealth mode on the inside of the complex and walked right into the building.

* * *

Dr. Nathan Bradley woke early, fairly certain he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep, and fairly annoyed that it was only 0400; he slid out of bed and dressed quickly. As he did every morning, he put his radio on the science channel and exited his quarters. Only this morning, the there was no sound. He switched channels. No sound. He tried every channel with no luck. He returned to his room and grabbed his TAC vest and 9mil, and made his way to the room of the nearest marine. When he reached the door he stopped. "Might as well just check and see if everything's okay." He mumbled to himself.

Nathan quietly crept down the hall. The gateroom was silent. No guards were talking, and no one was typing. He entered the gate room and was so intent on scanning the room he didn't see anyone until he tripped over Stackhouse. The doctor silently bent over to check the sergeant's pulse. He was alive. Nathan quickly spotted all three marines sprawled out on the ground as well. A second scan of the room revealed what he was looking for. He weighed his options. He was closer to the emergency alarm console than he was to the radio jammer, but he didn't want to activate the alarms while his people had no way to communicate. On the other hand, if there were intruders on base, he would most likely be shot the second he touched the jammer.

He dropped into lower crouch, then quickly sprang forward, grabbed the jammer and darted behind the alarms console. No one was shooting at him, so that was a bonus. He deactivated the jammer and hit the high alert button. He activated his radio. "Emergency medical team to the gateroom, four men down."

Carson Beckett's voice responded quickly. "Nathan? What's going on?"

A sudden thought occurred to the young scientist. He swiftly ran down the hall to the gateroom. "I don't know, but there are an additional two men down in the jumper bay."

* * *

The alert had been canceled once Sheppard had turned up missing. Doctors Weir, Beckett, Zelenka, Bradley and the current ranking military officer Captain Kendry sat around the briefing table.

Kendry shook his head. "It's safe to say that Sheppard went after Lorne, ma'am."

Weir looked to Zelenka.

"We can't get anything definitive from the DHD; however security tapes did show a jumper leaving through the Stargate."

They all looked around in silence. Bates voice came over the radio. "I'm in Colonel Sheppard's quarters, ma'am, and I found a note. He definitely went after Lorne."

* * *

Major Lorne woke to hear someone calling his name. A very familiar someone. "Sir?" He called into the darkness.

"Lorne? That you?" Came the reply.

Lorne looked over to his cellmate, who looked hopeful. "Told you." He hissed. "Yes sir. It's good to hear your voice."

Sheppard flicked his flashlight on and opened the door to the cell. "It's good to see you too, Major." He undid the chains on Lorne's cellmate first, and then turned to Lorne. "You look like crap Major."

Lorne smiled. "Thank you, sir. I hurt my left leg." He added as Sheppard undid the last chains.

The Lieutenant Colonel pulled Lorne's left arm around his shoulder and handed an ancient stunner to Lorne and a P90 to the other man. "I've got a cloaked jumper parked inside the gate. Let's go."

Lorne managed to hobble out of the cell with Sheppard's help. "Just you sir?"

Sheppard grimaced. "Let's just say I didn't exactly come with Weir's blessing. Teyla tried to convince her that we couldn't leave you, but…...there are guards here, we have to be quiet. Don't use that unless you have to." He added to the man as an afterthought.

* * *

Sheppard helped Lorne sit in the co-pilot's chair, set the other man in one of the flight crew chairs, and took the P90 back. He grabbed the first aid kit and handed Lorne four Tylenol and a bottle of water. "Sorry, but it's all I can give you until Beckett takes a look at you."

Lorne nodded. "Thank you sir."

Sheppard nodded and took off. "It's about an hour back to the gate. Get some rest."

The other man spoke up. "Was the Teyla you mentioned Teyla Emmagan?"

Sheppard looked behind him. "Yes. Why?"

The man bowed his head. "I am Clayos. I am Athosian as well. My trading party was captured many years ago on another world. Tegan was killed here, in front of my eyes. I am Teyla's godfather."

Sheppard glanced back. "I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, and this is Major Evan Lorne." He gestured to the sleeping officer. "I'm pleased to meet you. I'm sure Teyla will be happy to see you as well."

Clayos nodded. "Are you from Athos as well?"

Sheppard glanced at the HUD. "No. Athos was attacked. Teyla and all the surviving Athosian people live on Atlantis with my people." Clayos looked troubled, but he did not respond.

The rest of the journey was spent in silence. When they neared the gate, Sheppard dialed and sent through his IDC. "Atlantis this is Sheppard, I have Major Lorne, he needs Beckett, please lower the shield."

* * *

The briefing was still going on. The note found by Bates had only proved that Sheppard had purposefully disobeyed Weir's orders. "I don't think he did anything wrong, ma'am. He is the military commander, and this is a military situation." Kendry voice had risen, and he was aware that he was straying into grey areas.

"I disagree Captain. This is a situation that could have been resolved with diplomatic negotiations. Colonel Sheppard will have to be punished for his actions." The Stargate alarm activated, cutting off whatever Weir was going to say.

Chuck looked up as the senior staff filed out of the briefing room. "Colonel Sheppard's IDC, ma'am."

"Atlantis this is Sheppard, I have Major Lorne, he needs Beckett, please lower the shield."

Weir's lips thinned and her eyes narrowed. Beckett called for a medical to meet him in the jumper bay and took off running. Weir hesitated a moment longer. She nodded at Chuck, turned and walked to her office. Chuck hit the shield deactivator. "This is Atlantis, you're clear to return."

* * *

Notes: This is part of a series which has at least four installments. It is the first to be posted, but the chronological order is _Man Unwanted_, (next to be posted) _The Meaning of Prodigy_, _Second in Command_, and _Dismissed_. There will most likely be a fifth installment, to be named later. Dr. Bradley and Captain Kendry are explained in, _The Meaning of Prodigy_. Tentative time on _Man Unwanted_ is mid-June, due to excessive end of year school projects.

Please review and tell me what you think.

Kaydon


End file.
